Portable swing adaptor

ABSTRACT

The Portable Swing Adaptor is a small device that is constructed of machine washable fabric and padding, the straps are made from durable nylon belting and the buckle and adjusting slides are plastic. The hooks that attach the swing adaptor to the swing are metal. This is a new idea because the toddler swings that are currently available to the public are bulky plastic equipment that are not portable and cannot be attached to playground equipment without tools.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to Class 472 Amusement Devices—Sub class:Swings, Class 297 Chairs & Seats. This product was invented for toddlersand small children, no more than 44 inches tall and no heavier than 45pounds in weight. It was invented specifically as a portable device.Many playgrounds do not provide a toddler safe swing that would supportthe child from falling off either backwards or forwards, this inventionis designed to allow parents or caregivers of toddlers the option ofusing a typical playground swing with extra support. Toddler swings areavailable to purchase but they are not portable, they are large and madefrom hard plastic, and they are not for installing on publicplaygrounds.

-   -   I, Jean Ann Mead, invented the Portable Swing Adaptor so that        toddlers and small children can have extra support on a typical        playground swing.

My invention is constructed of machine washable fabric, foam padding andnylon straps so it is soft and easy to clean.

It is small and portable-easily brought to parks and can fit in manydiaper bags.

This device can be attached and removed in less than 3 minutes, so abusy child doesn't get bored waiting to swing and can easily move on tosomething else.

This product is inexpensive to manufacture, thus the retail cost wouldnot be prohibitive for most families.

This is a new idea because the toddler swings that are currentlyavailable to the public are bulky plastic equipment that are notportable and cannot be attached to playground equipment without tools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical orfunctionally similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of the Portable Swing Adaptor in itsusable form; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the Portable Swing Adaptor in itsusable form

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the Portable SwingAdaptor 10 of the present invention. The Portable Swing Adaptor 10comprises a back pad 12, a left support connection strap 13A and a rightsupport connection strap 13B. Each strap has a metal hook clasp at eachend 20 to connect to the swing chains, a waist belt left side 16A, awaist belt right side 16B connected in the front center of the PortableSwing Adaptor by a quick release plastic buckle 19, two shoulder strapscomprising of an upper left side 14A, a lower left side 14B an upperright side 15A and lower right side 15B with sliding adjusters 18 a, anda crotch strap 17. The waist strap 16A, 16B, crotch strap 17, shoulderstraps 14A, B and 15A, B, and the back pad 12 are the main support ofthe present invention, while the left support connection strap 13A andright support connection strap 13B as well as the crotch strap 17,provide a means for securing the Portable Swing Adaptor 10 to aconventional swing with a sling seat.

In the preferred embodiment, the back pad 12 of the Portable SwingAdaptor is made of densified foam batting covered with a cottonbroadcloth fabric for comfort, durability, and portability. The 1 inchwide nylon straps are stitched to the back pad to form the PortableSwing Adaptor, incorporating adjustable sliding clips, locking buckles,and locking hooks as needed. Nylon straps, adjustable sliding clips,locking buckles, and locking hooks are well known in the relevant artand are commercially available. It would be readily apparent to one ofordinary skill in the relevant art to manufacture a Portable SwingAdaptor 10 of the present invention using cloth covered densified foambatting with nylon straps and stitching them together or incorporatingbuckles and hooks as required.

The waist belt 16A, 16B of the Portable Swing Adaptor 10 is a 1 inchwide nylon strap, having a length that is long enough to fit around thewaist of a child and the swing chains and a means of attaching andremoving the waist belt from around the child's waist. In the preferredembodiment, the means for attaching and removing the waist belt 16A, 16Bis a quick release plastic buckle wherein one end fits, or snaps, into asecond end, thereby securing the waist belt 16A, 16B around the child'swaist.

In the preferred embodiment, there are three (3) means by which thePortable Swing Adaptor 10 is secured to a conventional swing: a leftsupport connection strap 13A and a right support connection strap 13B,The waist belt 16A, 16B, and the crotch strap 17. The crotch strap 17 isa strap that connects the front of the waist belt 16A, 16B to the backof the waist belt 16A, 16B by running under a swing seat, therebyallowing the child to stay in contact with the swing seat whileswinging. The crotch strap 17 is stitched to the center of the back pad12 and is connected to the front of the waist belt 16A, 16B by the freeend of said crotch strap 17 which has a loop that the said waist belt16A, 16B buckle passes through to connect the said crotch strap to saidwaist belt to form a “T” shape seatbelt. Coupling of said free end ofsaid crotch strap to said waist belt is by slidable relationshipallowing ease of connecting and disconnecting said waist belt and saidcrotch belt.

The Portable Swing Adaptor 10 of the present invention has a leftsupport connection strap 13A and a right support connection strap 13B.Each support connection strap 13A, 13B is stitched to the back pad 12 ofthe Portable Swing Adaptor 10 such that a support connection strap 13A,13B is located at each of the child's shoulders when the child iswearing the Portable Swing Adaptor 10. Each support connection strap13A, 13B also incorporates a means for attaching the Portable SwingAdaptor 10 to a swing line. In the preferred embodiment, there is metalhook clasp 20 at the end of each support connection strap 13A, 13B thatis used to connect the support connection strap 13A, 13B to the lines ofthe swing. Most conventional swing lines are chains; therefore, a metalhook clasp 20, fits through a link in the chain and locks so that themetal hook clasp 20 does not disengage from the swing line while thechild is swinging.

In operation, a parent connects the left support connection strap 13A toa first swing line at a point above the child's shoulder. The parentthen connects the right support connection strap 13B to a second swingline at a point above the child's shoulder.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a waistbelt 16A, 16B. The rear center of the waist belt 16A, 16B is stitched tothe back pad 12 of the Portable Swing Adaptor 10.

Each side of the waist belt 16A, 16B also incorporates a means forattaching the Portable Swing Adaptor 10 to a swing line. In thepreferred embodiment, each side of the waist belt 16A, 16B can passthrough the large metal triangles attaching the swing to the swing lineto connect the waist belt 16A, 16B to the lines of the swing.

In operation, a parent passes the right side of the waist belt 16B fromthe rear of the child through the metal triangle on the right side ofthe swing line. Then, a parent passes the left side of the waist belt16A from the rear of the child through the metal triangle on the leftside of the swing line and connects the two ends of the quick releaseplastic buckle in front of the child at said child's waist.

The support connection straps 13A, 13B use a metal hook clasp to connectto the swing line. A larger metal hook clasp than the one shown can beused for conventional swing lines that are not just chains, but arechains covered with a plastic sleeve or ropes.

The Portable Swing Adaptor 10 of the present invention is described inthese terms for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparentto one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to manufacture a comparablePortable Swing Adaptor 1O using different materials or buckles.

FIG. 2 illustrates the rear perspective view of the Portable SwingAdaptor 10 in its usable form of the present invention. The PortableSwing Adaptor 10 of the present invention works with sling seats.

In operation, a parent or guardian connects the Portable Swing Adaptor10 by attaching the left support connection strap 13A to the left swingline and the right support connection strap 13B to the right swing line.The child is then placed on the swing seat. First, the upper shoulderstraps 14A and 15A are put over the child's shoulders; the bottom partof the shoulder straps 14B and 15B are then connected to the upper partand adjusted accordingly 18A to the child's size.

Alternatively, the shoulder straps may stay connected for future use ofthe Portable Swing Adaptor, thus eliminating this one step.

Next, the left side of the waist belt 16A is passes through the leftside of the large metal triangle that connects the swing seat to thechain, then the right side of the belt passes through the right side ofthe large metal triangle that connects the swing seat to the chain, thecrotch strap 17 runs from the child's back to the child's front underthe swing seat and up between the child's legs, the free end of saidcrotch strap has a loop that the said waist belt buckle passes throughto connect the said crotch strap to said waist belt to form a “T” shapeseatbelt. The waist belt 16A, 16B join in the front of the child's torsoby a quickrelease plastic buckle. Said waist belt comprises a means foradjusting a length of said waist belt such that said waist belt fitsthrough the swing chain and close around the child's waist, wherein saidmeans for adjusting are adjustable sliding clips. The waist belt 16A,16B, crotch strap 17 and shoulder straps 14A, 14B and 15A, 15B areadjusted such that the Portable Swing Adaptor 10 is snug on the child.

CONCLUSION

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changesin form and details may be made therein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claim. Thus, thebreadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by anyof the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined inaccordance with the following claim and their equivalents.

1. Portable swing adaptor harness with back pad configured to adapt aplayground swing into a toddler swing, the playground swing consistingof a belt seat hanging from a swing set structure by a pair of chains orropes, the Portable Swing Adaptor is comprised of: a soft fabric backpad, rectangular in shape, comprised of densified foam batting coveredwith a cotton broadcloth fabric that is machine washable and provides acomfortable means for the child to sit restrained from falling backward;attached to said back pad is a support connection strap for connectingleft side of said back pad to the left swing chain, said strap isconnected to said back pad; and a support connection strap forconnecting right side of said back pad to the right swing chain, saidstrap is connected to said back pad; connection to said pair of chainsis to establish support and prevent a child from falling backward. Saidattachment mechanism is comprised of a nylon strap sewed horizontally tothe top rear of said back pad with a metal hook clasp on each right sideand left side to attach said back pad along the length of said swingchains, thus permitting the portable swing adaptor to be attached to anappropriate chain link according to a toddler's physical size; sewn tothe lower rear of the above referenced back pad is a fully adjustablenylon waist belt for circumscribing the torso of the child, the rightside of the belt passes through the right side of the large metaltriangle that connects the swing seat to the chain, and the left side ofthe belt passes through the left side of the large metal triangle thatconnects the swing seat to the chain, they join in the front of thechild's torso by a quickrelease plastic buckle. Said waist beltcomprises a means for adjusting a length of said waist belt such thatsaid waist belt fits through the swing chain and close around thechild's waist, wherein said means for adjusting are adjustable slidingclips; sewn vertically down the center rear of said back pad is a fullyadjustable nylon crotch strap that runs from the child's back to thechild's front under the swing seat and up between the child's legs, thefree end of said crotch strap has a loop that the said waist belt bucklepasses through to connect the said crotch strap to said waist belt toform a “T” shape seatbelt. Coupling of said free end of said crotchstrap to said waist belt is by slidable relationship allowing ease ofconnecting and disconnecting said waist belt and said crotch belt. Meansfor adjusting the crotch belt is an adjustable sliding clip located atthe rear of the back pad; a right adjustable padded shoulder straphaving a top non-adjustable portion and a bottom adjustable portion,said top shoulder strap connected to said back pad such that when theportable swing adaptor is placed on the child, said shoulder pad strapruns from behind the child and over a right shoulder where the rightside of said waist belt threads through it. The bottom of said rightadjustable padded shoulder strap is connected to the bottom of said backpad; a left adjustable padded shoulder strap having a top non-adjustableportion and a bottom adjustable portion, said top shoulder strapconnected to said back pad such that when the portable swing adaptor isplaced on the child, said shoulder pad strap runs from behind the childand over a left shoulder where the left side of said waist belt threadsthrough it. The bottom of said left adjustable padded shoulder strap isconnected to the bottom of said back pad; the adjustable padded shoulderstraps are used in conjunction with the waist/crotch combination belt,to form the fivepoint harness that prevents children from falling offthe swing in a forward or backward direction; The portable swingadaptor, wherein said connecting strap, said waist belt, said crotchstrap, adjustable portion of said right padded shoulder strap,adjustable portion of said left padded shoulder strap, are made of nylonstraps. Said back pad, non-adjustable portion of said right paddedshoulder strap, non-adjustable portion of said left padded shoulderstrap, are made of densified foam batting covered with a cottonbroadcloth fabric. All parts of the portable swing adaptor are safe tomachine wash and the entire device can be brought to the park in astandard size diaper bag.